The Shadow Side
by canadianrainbows0919
Summary: After Gilbert's death, Matthew is devastated. but when he finds a book that tells him how to access the shadow side, he could possibly be reunited with Gilbert. But when something goes wrong when he opens a portal, it leaves Matthew trapped in the shadow side, and evil spirits are escaping into the real world. Time is running out, and the portal is slowly closing... (bad summary)
1. Chapter 1

**So, I decided to write another story… I may or may not have discontinued my out of the dust story because, let's be honest, no one really likes an oc in a fanfiction. Anyway, I really, really, really wanted to write a PruCan fic, and I also wanted to write hetalia creepy pasta story, so… that's how this idea was born! A few details you should know first: the name of the "game," as I read while researching for some ideas is the three kings. This creepy pasta game allows you to access the shadow side, or spirit world, as most would call it. By accessing this world, you have gained the ability to see the spirits, talk to them, so on. You have basically left the real world and your own spirit has crossed to the shadow side. More simply put, you left your body. This game is also very dangerous. If something goes wrong, the spirits can leave from the "portal" you opened and haunt you, or you can get stuck on the shadow side. There are backups for this, but if something else goes terribly wrong, it will be hard to get out. For example, if you are mentally or spiritually weak at this time, and you do this to get away from the world, your gonna have a bad time. I'll stop explaining so you can read the story now XD…**

.:Prologue: After His Death:.

No one knew he was sick. That was how he wanted it. He never wanted anyone to worry about him; he knew this day would come, the day he would finally fade. By the time everyone found out that he was ill, it was too late. They couldn't save him. Why Gilbert wanted it that way, no one will know.

Before his death, Matthew had always noticed something… off about his boyfriend, but whenever Matthew became concerned for Gilbert and his health, he would deny it. The day Matthew found out that Gilbert was ill; he knew it was too late, and he went home heartbroken.

And in Gilbert's last moments, it would be a moment Matthew will never forget…

XxxX

_Gilbert could feel a presence at the side of his bed, where he lay weak. The quiet sobbing that could be heard from the being next to him could only belong to Matthew. The Prussian opened his eyes to reveal those crimson orbs that Matthew so loved, reaching out to take the Canadians hand weakly. Matthew looked up, his amethyst eyes glossy with tears. "G-Gil…" he whispered, his voice shaky. Gilbert smiled weakly, not a smirk but the smile he only ever saved for Matthew. "Birdie… Vhy are jou crying?" he asked softly. Matthew shook his head. "Gil, I'm… I'm going to lose you soon…" he whispered, feeling new tears form in his violet eyes. _

_He started crying again, until Gilbert brought a shaky finger to his lips, shushing him. The Prussian smirked weakly. "I may not be around anymore… but I vant jou to stay strong for me, Matthew." Matthew nodded, Gilbert rarely ever called him Matthew, but on the rare occasion he did, it meant Gilbert was being serious. "Please don't cry for me, jou know I hate to see jou cry. Don't vorry about me, just be happy. You have so much to live for; don't spend jour life mourning over me. No one needs me anymore." Gilbert said sadly. "But I need you Gil—" Gilbert cut him off. "Ich liebe dich."_

_ Gilbert closed his eyes and Matthew leaned down, giving the albino one last kiss on his pale lips. "Je t'aime trop…" he whispered, holding back tears as Gilberts grip on the Canadians hand went limp and the slow rise and fall of his chest ceased. Matthew slowly got up and left the room, Gilbert's words running through his mind._

XxxX

That was a year ago. Matthew had kept Gilbert's promise, and he was happy. But he missed the Prussian terribly, and sometimes he would cry himself to sleep, only making him feel worse, because he had promised Gilbert he wouldn't cry over him. But how could he not? Gilbert was the only person who loved him as much as he loved Gilbert. He was the only person who never forgot him besides his brother.

And now he was gone.

**Okay! I actually **_**like**_** this story, and I look forward to continuing this!**

**Hetalia does not belong to me…**

**Please review!**

**Anyway, ciao!**

**Canadianrainbows~**


	2. The Book

**Yay… I'm really going to continue this story… because I want to… I like it… so yeah, I know last chapter was short, but I'm gonna try to make this one longer… I probably won't be able to update anymore this weekend because my mom needs the laptop for a report. So I'm really upset, but I will try to update as often as I can throughout the weekend as well as after school. **

.:Chapter One: The Book:.

After Gilbert's death, Matthew spent a lot of time at the library. He felt a sense of peace there, lost in his world of books and literature. On this particular day, Matthew had come across a door. It was in the corner of the library, which was where he often spent his time, so it seemed weird that he had never seen that door before. Curiosity getting the best of him, he pushed the door open slowly, disappearing behind it.

The room was dimly lit, a tall shelf on the wall in front of him. He slowly walked over to the shelf, skimming over the dusty books that filled it. There were many titles, _The Legend of Slenderman_, _Never Turn Around, _and _The Clockwork Virus._ But one, dark coloured book with a silver lining on its black spine caught his eye. _Accessing Realms, _it read. He opened its dusty cover to find a note scribbled on a yellowed piece of paper, as it fluttered to the ground. He picked it up, trying to make out the writer's messy script.

_To whom it may concern:_

_This book contains many ways and directions to access and open many different realms, as the title suggests. All of these that have been documented in this book __do work__, as I have tried all of them myself. A warning though: if you are to try these directions to open a number of realms of your choosing, I highly advise you to __be prepared__. The ability to open realms in this way also hold consequences. If you are doing drugs or alcohol, you will have a bad time. If you are mentally or spiritually weak at this point in time, you will have a bad time. If you are depressed and want to get away from reality, I advise you not to try these. All of these directions come with back-ups, there is a reason they are there! It is possible to get stuck in a realm. If the back-ups fail and you cannot find your way back to reality… Good luck in your new realm…_

There was no name at the bottom of the note_,_ the person who wrote this must've wanted to stay unknown. Matthew wondered if accessing these 'realms' actually worked. He slipped the note back into the book's cover and hugged it to his chest, swiftly walking out the mysterious door. He walked quickly out to the front of the library, but before he walked outside to go home with the book, he looked back.

The mysterious door was gone.

Once home, Matthew sat down at his desk and began to skim through the book, before one realm caught his eye.

_The Shadow Side (spirit realm)_

Matthew frowned, beginning to read.

_The shadow side, or "spirit realm", as it's also known, is a realm where most spirits and shadowsouls go to stay. A spirit, as most of us know, is a soul that has passed or has lost its body in some way. A shadowsoul, however, is a spirit that never received a body or a cursed soul._

_The purpose of this realm gives shadowsouls and spirits a place to stay._

Matthew had a small thought, maybe even a hope, that Gilbert was in that realm somewhere. He shook his head, trying to deny the thought, though it stayed. He shrugged it off and continued reading.

_Ingredients to access this realm: a large, quiet room, preferably without windows (basements work well), 3 chairs, 2 door mirrors, a bucket or glass of water, a fan, a pack of candles (you'll only need one if all goes well), an object from your childhood, your cell phone (remember to charge the thing!), an alarm clock, and a loved one or friend who's willing to go through with this. _

Matthew had all of these things, and he was pretty sure Alfred would love a horror thing such as this, even though his brother was terribly afraid of this stuff. He figured his brother would deny his fear and happily go along with the idea. He would just tell him it was a 'game', instead of actually accessing a realm.

He wondered why he wanted to go through with this, and then he remembered the small thought that Gilbert was in there, and he longed to be reunited with the albino that he loved so dearly. He realized that the small thought he had when he started reading had turned into a full-on hope as he kept reading. He turned his eyes back to the pages.

_Start setup around 11p.m. First, place your "throne", being one of the chairs, in the middle of the room. It has to face north, this is important. Set the two chairs to your left and right of the first chair, about arms length apart. Put the bucket or glass of water about a foot in front of the first chair, and set the two mirrors on the second and third chair. Sitting down on the first chair, if you can see your reflection, just barely there in the corner of your eye, then you've done it right._

_Turn the fan on; it should be behind the first chair. __**Do not**__ set it on high power. Medium or low is enough. At midnight, leave the room with the fan on and the door open. Go to your room and set your alarm clock for 3:30a.m. You and your partner get some rest; you're going to need it. If your phone is low on power, charge it. _

_You should be awake by 3:30a.m. If your alarm did not go off at 3:30a.m, __**abort the mission.**__If your cell phone didn't charge for whatever reason,__** abort the mission.**__ But if all goes well, you have exactly 3 minutes to get down to the room. __**Do not**__ turn the lights on. Don't forget the object from your childhood and your candle._

_If you get down to the room and the door is closed,__** abort the mission.**__ Remember, you left the door open. If the fan has been turned off,__** abort the mission**__. If all goes well, sit in the first chair, and look straight ahead into the darkness. __**Do not**__ look into the mirrors. Now protect the candle's flame from the fan with your body, during this time you will be able to go into the shadow realm. The candle's flame is your light back to reality._

_If the candle were to go out, you would be trapped in the shadow side. That's where backup number 1 comes in. Your partner has to call your cell phone. It's ringing or vibrating can provide a pathway back to reality. Backup number two: your partner will throw the bucket of water on you, this jolts your body awake, providing a path back to reality. Backup number 3: your object from childhood. The memories contained in it will provide a light back to reality. Make sure your partner __**does not**__ touch you during this time, as that can close the portal. If you are not out by 4:42 a.m, then the portal will close and your spirit will be trapped in the shadow side. _

Matthew thought about this. It was risky, dangerous, and everything had to be precise. It was a huge commitment to make, but if it meant being possibly reunited with Gilbert, it was worth a try…

**Okay! This chapter was looooooong… I had to put that huge, italicized description in there so you will know what's going on later in the story. I'm also thinking of adding maybe… just a sprinkle of UsUk in there…**

**But that's the only spoiler you get!**

**If I owned hetalia, history would be dead…**

**Anyway, ciao!**

**Canadianrainbows0919**


	3. Preparation

**So this will probably, maybe be the last chapter I put up this weekend. But I do have Monday off from school, so I'll see if I can put up one or two chapters before the weekend ends, and maybe a few chapters throughout the week…**

.:Chapter 2: Preparation:.

Matthew had gathered all the things he needed to access the shadow side. All he had to do now was call Alfred. Gripping is phone in his hand, he carefully dialed his brother's number and held the phone up to his ear, hearing the dial tone on the other end.

It rang once.

Twice.

Four times.

"_Hey bro, how's it goin'?" _Matthew flinched as his brother practically yelled into the phone.

"Alfred, there's no reason to scream," Matthew said quietly.

"… _Oh, sorry. Anyway, what's up?" _Alfred asked, a little quieter.

"I wanted to know if you wanted to play a… Horror game at my house."

"_Like a video game?"_

Matthew sighed. "No, like an actual game, Alfred."

"_Oh, yeah sure! What time should I be there?"_

"A little before eleven, if you can."

"_M'kay! See ya later bro!"_

"Alright, bye."

Matthew hung up, his thoughts returning to wondering if Gilbert was really in that realm somewhere.

XxxX

Matthew sat patiently, waiting for his brother to arrive. The clock read 10:47 p.m. A few minutes later, Matthew heard a knock at the door, which he assumed was Alfred. "It's open," he called softly. He heard the door open and shut, and Alfred walked into the living room. "You still never told me what this game was." Alfred pointed out. "Well hello to you too." Matthew muttered. Alfred's cerulean orbs widened. "Dude, what's with you lately?" Matthew stood up, shaking his head. "Nevermind, I'll explain it when we get to my basement."

After explaining the "game" to Alfred, the time was around 11:53. Perfect, if they could both get it set up quickly, they could leave by 12:00. After setting up, they headed up to Matthew's room where his alarm clock had been set for 3:30, and also where his iPhone was charging and his childhood object was being kept. Matthew's childhood object was a small, stuffed polar bear by the name of Kumajirou (although he could never remember the bear's name); he has had it for as long as he can remember. Matthew smiled at the thought of Kumajirou; he remembered when he would carry the stuffed bear around with him _everywhere_.

"Is your phone charged?" Matthew asked his brother, just making sure. He had already explained the multiple backups to Alfred. His brother nodded, looking over to Matthew's phone where it sat on his nightstand charging. Alfred set his almost identical iPhone next to his brother's; the only difference was that Alfred's phone was currently sporting an American flag case. "I made sure to charge it before I left." Alfred said.

Matthew climbed into bed, lying on his back with his hands behind his head. His wavy, pale, almost shoulder-length blonde hair was splayed out over the pillow, that one gravity-defying curl sticking up; standing out from the rest of his hair. "Where am I gonna sleep?" Alfred whined. Matthew silently pointed over to a futon on the other side of the room.

XxxX

Matthew was jolted awake by the overly-annoying ringing of his alarm clock. He could hear Alfred groaning from the other side of the room. He slammed the off button on his alarm clock, gathering his things and shaking his brother awake, making the American fall off of the futon. He groaned again. "Alfred, get up! We only have three minutes to get down there! Get your phone and come on!" Matthew whispered harshly. He lit the candle and the two made their way downstairs.

Everything seemed to be going as planned, the door of the basement was still open and the fan was still on. It was exactly 3:33 when Matthew sat down in the first chair, protecting the candle, his phone and Kumajirou at his feet. Matthew stared straight ahead at the darkness, careful not to look at the mirrors. He soon felt lightheaded, and it was as if he was being pulled into a trance. Soon, almost all the colour and life had been drained from his amethyst eyes, confirming that his soul had officially passed to the shadow side.

XxxX

At 4:42, Alfred did as he was told. He went back into the basement to find that the candle had mysteriously flickered out. Alfred began to panic. He called Matthew's cell phone, gave him Kumajirou, and even went as far to pouring the glass of water on his brother's head. But in Alfred's state of panic, he forgot one thing—he couldn't touch Matthew. He began shaking Matthew's shoulders, begging for him to say something.

Suddenly, Alfred stopped in his tracks. He slowly took his hands from Matthew's shoulders, realizing what he had done. He had totally forgotten in his state of panic that he was not supposed to touch Mathew, thus he would close the portal.

Alfred had done something wrong.

Alfred had done something terrible.

He had trapped Matthew.

"I better call Arthur…" he whispered shakily.

**Now that that's done, I can move on into the shadow side! That will be next chapter. Not giving any spoilers though, sorry (not really XD)!**

**I will try my best to write and put up chapter 3 tomorrow.**

**Not guaranteeing anything, though.**

**Anyway, ciao!**

**Canadianrainbows~**


	4. Lighter Spirit

**I k**now, it's been forever since I last updated, but here I am, typing this at 11 at night for you guys, (and mostly because I wanted to continue it) sooooo… here you go! Last time I checked, this story has two favorites! I'm proud of myself XD. Anyway, hate to waste your time with the author's note (who reads it anyway?) so, let's get to the story, shall we?

.:Chapter Three: Lighter Spirit:.

The first thing Matthew noticed after passing through was that he felt… lighter, in a way, almost like he wasn't carrying the weight of himself anymore, he felt hollow. Another difference that was clearly noticeable in this new view of reality was that everything seemed dimmer, grayer almost, and Matthew could just imagine there being a dark, opaque fog that covered the ground.

Matthew also heard whispers. Faint, deep, and distorted audio-sounding voices that he could barely make out, because the quiet words were so mangled and mutilated. The only things that he could make out were the harsh words of _no escape_, mixed in with the other static-like voices that scared him, ever so slightly.

He wanted out.

The mutilated whispers continued, and he shook his head, blond hair waving with the movement. _No, no, they're just shadow spirits. They're trying to fool you, Matthew_, _you came here to find Gilbert. Just don't pay attention to it. _He reassured himself, trying to drown out the quiet audio by humming the tune of the Canadian national anthem to himself quietly.

Nonetheless, the whispers continued, never ending.

Matthew couldn't take it anymore. He made his way over to the corner of the dark, empty basement, leaning his head against the cold stone walls, covering his ears and shutting his eyes, as to block out the whispers. They continued, the never ending distorted gurgles going on for infinity.

Matthew gritted his teeth, feeling tears come to his tightly shut amethyst orbs. He could make out more phrases now, as the distorted audio seemed to have gradually become louder to when he had first entered. _No escape, be our slave, never ending, forever…_ they taunted, Matthew could even here small, mutilated, almost choked sounding giggles in between the distorted sighs that were driving him insane.

Matthew's eyes opened to complete darkness, not the hazy, empty basement he had been in before. Tears spilled from his glazed over mauve eyes. He let out a choked sob, clenching his fists.

"No, no, no…" he whispered. "Stop, just stop." He sobbed, falling to the floor, the darkness enveloping his trembling body as the whispers continued, quickening and becoming louder with every phrase.

Matthew let out a shrill scream, covering his ears with his hands as he shut his eyes, sobbing. He couldn't stop trembling; the voices scared him, the infinite distorted sighs and giggles that had driven him to insanity. Where was his childhood object? Why wasn't his cell phone ringing? Where was Alfred, why the hell wasn't he waking up? The voices seemed to answer all of these questions.

_You're stuck! _They taunted, followed by a round of childish giggles.

Matthew stopped breathing, realizing his new state. He let out a slow, shaky breath as _they_ continued to giggle and taunt him. He trembled violently.

Suddenly, all the voices stopped, leaving a sobbing Matthew in a cold silence.

Then, that voice, that voice that Matthew had been searching for, that he longed to hear, warmed the cold silence and ceased Matthew's tears.

"Birdie?"


End file.
